Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor Over the course of the last 15 years, Lauren Groff has emerged as one of the most critically adored literary fiction authors of the 21st century. Her work tends to oscillate between the past and the present, inhabiting both...
Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor On September 21, the Booker Prize’s judging panel announced the shortlist for this year. Long considered the most prestigious literary award in the United Kingdom, the Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker Prize) is awarded annually to...
Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor Since the 1970s, Stephen King has reigned supreme as one of the most prolific authors in English literature, reliably putting out at least one (generally fairly substantial) novel a year. One of King’s hallmarks is how he interweaves his...
Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor There haven’t been many more hotly anticipated arrivals on the literary scene than Zadie Smith. Her debut manuscript was purchased before its completion while she was still a student at Cambridge. Since then, her novels have continued to be...
Building Strong Bonds: Books about Friendship Bonding and connectedness are essential for a child’s healthy development. Fostering strong and resilient relationships can be challenging at any age, but learning how to overcome those challenges can allow children to navigate future relationships of their own. By working...
Written by: Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor The finalists for the 10th Annual Kirkus Prize are here! The Kirkus Prize is presented by Kirkus Reviews, the venerable book review magazine, and awards $50,000 to a work in each of its three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and young...
Written by Nick Philip, Adult Services Supervisor James McBride has established himself as one of the great voices in 21st-century American literature. The son of a Black father and Jewish mother (whom he biographized in his 1996 work The Color of Water), he is acutely aware of...
Welcome to Castle Rock, Maine! First appearing in Stephen King’s 1979 novel, The Dead Zone, Castle Rock is a town in King's fictional version of Maine that has since been used as the primary setting for many of his works and references in many more....
Children’s creativity is boundless and worth celebrating! Not only are they engaging in a hobby that’s fun for them, but by following step-by-step instructions that comes with crafting, they are improving their reading, fine motor, problem-solving, and literacy skills. Below, we have listed eight specialized...
The case for graphic novels Graphic novels can enhance children’s literacy skills, whether they are struggling or advanced readers. Adults sometimes want their children to move on to “real” chapter books and push them to leave graphic novels behind. However, graphic novels are excellent for expanding vocabulary...
